Plakooraph co



R. S. MADDOCK, H L. BROWN AND C. SHERMAN- "DECORTICATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULYYB, I914.

Patented Sept. 9, 1919.

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THE COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH CO" WASHINGTON. D. C.

- R. S. MADDOCK, H. L. BROWN AND C. G. SHERMAN.

DECORTICATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 8.1914.

Patented Sept. 9, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

'ms COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0-, WASHINGTON, D. c.

R. S. MADDOCK, H. L. BROWN AND C. G. SHERMAN.

v DECORTICATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9. x9|4.

1,315,521. I Pa tentedSept. 9,1919.

R. S. MADDOCK, H. L. BROWN AND C. G. SHERMAN.

DECORTICAT ING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 8. l9l4.

Patented Sept. 9, 1919. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4 i y fliiys.

1m: coihmnm Pgmounmi co., wasumn'rou. n. c.

sinus PATENT oFFIoE.

RITCHIE S. MADDOCK AND HAYDN L. BROWN 0F HAVEBHILL, AND CHARLES Gr. SHERMAN, 0F MELROSE, MASSACHUSETTS; SAID BROWN ASSIGNOR '10 SAID SHERMAN.

DECORTIGATING-MACI-IINE.

Application filed July 8, 1914. Serial No. 849,838.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Rrroi-rrn S. MADDocK and HAYDN L. BROWN, both citizens of the United States, and residents of Haverhill, lt lassachusetts, and CHARLES G. SHERMAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Melrose, Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Decorticating-Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its purpose the improvement of decorticating machines.

The various features of our invention will be best understood from a description of one embodiment thereof selected to-illustrate the same: it being understood however that our invention is not limited to such selected embodiment.

In the drawings accompanying this description Figure 1 is aside elevation showing the machine as a whole.

Fig. 2 is a similar view with some of the frame and outside parts removed.

Fig. 3 is a partial cross-section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4.- is a cross-section of the leveling roller taken on the line l4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 shows in detail one of the breaker rollers.

Fig. 6 is a partial cross-section taken on the line 66 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a partial cross-section taken the line 77 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a partial plan view of the air blast pipes. 1

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic detail illustrating the action of the breaker rollers against the resilient surface of the drum.

In the particular embodiment of our invention selected herein for illustration and shown in the drawings, the principal moving part of the decorticating machine consists of a steel drum, the outside periphery of which is covered with a layer of resilient material, such as rubber, substantially uniform in thickness. The dimensions of the drum which wehave found it most convenient to use in practice are about 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet in aXial width.

This large drum revolves, and is supported on a shaft journaled in a steel frame which consists of two substantially similar sections, one at each side of the drum. These frame sections form the support of the machine and may be fastened together. in any usual way as by the bolts 120 and the strengthening bars 121. The frame sections are constructed to receive a series of journals in which rest the ends of the shafts of a series of fluted steel breaker rollers. These fluted steel breaker rollers are arrangedto impinge against the resilient periphery of the large drum at various points substantially equidistant about its circumference, and movement is communicated by means of this impingement from the large drum to these breaker rollers, which in practice We have found it convenient to make about 2-2,; to 3 inchesin diameter. The length of the breaker rollers is substantially equal tothe width of the large drum- The breaker rollers are drawn yieldingly against the resilient surface of the drum by means of springs, each breaker roller being provided with a pair of such springs, one at each end of the roller; and by the positioning of these springs the rollersare drawn directly toward the center of the large drum, the springs being adjustably attached to the frameof the machine. X

Suitable power is applied to the large drum to cause it to rotate and in so doing the breaker rollers are in turnrotated; as above described. i

For convenience and. for illustration, we shall hereinafter referto the mate-rial to be decorticated as flax stalks, but we do not wish to be understood as limiting the uses of our invention only to the decortication of flax, since obviously it may be employed in the conditioning of many other materials. Stalks of flax'may be fed by suitable means between the breaker rollers and the resilient surface of the drum and by the continuous rotation of the latter are carried upon its surface and beneath the breaker rollers.

The breaker rollers are fluted, with the result that as the flax stalks pass beneath them and theresilient surface of the drum, the stalks are broken or crushed in numerous places; but the fiber, which the stalks contain is not injured, but passes on from under the rollers unbroken. As the stalks are carried around below the center of the machine, the particles of the woodyportion of the Patented Sept. 9, 1919.

shaft 11 is journaled at its ends in the frame 13 where it is supported upon ball bearings. Any suitable ball b'earingjournal may be provided, butwe prefer the type shown in F ig. 3-ivherein the shaft 11 is provided with a collar 14 which fits about the shaft and which upon its curved periphery is provided with circumferential grooves'or ball races 15 in which travel a series of spherical bearings '1'6; t;hesebearings in turn being supported in the'ca'sing 17 set in the frame 13 in any usual manner. The inside concave periphery of thecasing 17 also provides a raceway for, the spherical bearings 16. On the inside of the fixed casing 17 is a plate 19 attached to the casing 17 in any suitable manner as by bolts 20. This plate may serve as a covering for the space in which the bearings 16 run, and prevents the entry of dust and dirt which might interfere with the smooth running of the journal.

Upon one end of the shaft 11 are position'ed collars 29 and 30 betweeen which the ring 33 is held against lateral movement, and'w'hieh are secured'in place by means of the end plate 32 which is secured to the end of the shaft by means of the threaded bolt 31. The ring 33 is grooved on'its opposite faces in such a way as to provide race-ways for-two sets of ball bearings 34, which run on each side of the ring 33 and between it and'the circular plates 35 which fit in the casing 36, which is held in place in the frame 13- of the machine by means of the plate 37, secured to the frame by means of screw-threaded bolts 38. j

, "On the other end of themain shaft 11 is secured in any usual manner, as by the threaded bolt 21 and the plate 22 the bevel toothed gear 39 which may be keyed to the shaft as shown at 40. Power is transmitted to the machinethrough the beveled gear 39 by m'eans'of' some driving device, such as the pinion 41.

Between the inside face of the hub of the bevel toothed gear 39 and the frame of the machine may be inserted a ring 42 of some suitable material for taking up the space be tween the gear hub and the frame and so preventingthe entry ofdust into the raceways of' the ball bearings.

The outside periphery of the drum 10 is covered with 'a uniformly thick layer of resilient material such as rubber best shown at and against the outside surface of this resilient layer impinge the steel breaker rollers 51. The rotation of the drum 10 impartsrotary movement to these breaker rollers all of which are similarly constructed and journaled as best shown in Fig. 3. Each breaker roller is supported in ball bearing journals incased in suitably constructed journal boxes 52. Between the ends of the breaker rollers and their ball bearing journals may be inserted plates 53 which serve to prevent the entry of dust and dirt into the ball races 54. Of course the particular nature of the devices employed for this purpose is not important.

In order that the breaker rollers may be laterally adjusted, spherical end-thrust bearings 55 are provided at the ends of the breaker roller shafts 56 and are held in place in properly shaped sockets 57 against the end of threaded set screws 58 provided with lock nuts 59. On the ends of each shaft 56 may be provided bearing rings 60, which support the shaft upon its ball bearings 61, but the rings 60 are not so tightly fitted upon the shaft as to prevent longitudinal adjusting movement of the shaft relatively to the'rings 60, should such adjustment be desired.

The breaker rollers 51 are preferably secured to their shafts 56 by means of tapered pins 62 which are driven through roller and shaft in the usual manner. The bearings of each breaker roller are positioned in individual journal boxes 52 as already described; and these journal boxes are fitted into and between grooved members 63 secured to the outside of the frame members 13 of the machine by means of threaded bolts 65, and constructed to permit of the radial movement of the breaker rollers and their attached parts relatively to the drum 10 and the frame 13.

Fig. 6 shows in detail the construction we prefer. The journal boxes 52 are provided with tongues 66 which fit slidably into the corresponding grooves 67 in the members 63. The breaker roller shafts 56 project through suitably shaped openings 68 in the frame 13.

Attached to each journal box 52 at the point 69 is the helical spring 71 which in turn is connected to the outside of the frame 13 by any suitable device as the threaded draw bar which projects radially through openings in the rings 72 which are preferably made integral with the frame members 13. Screwed upon the threaded ends of these draw bars 70 are the adjusting wingnuts 7 3, whereby the tension of the springs 71, and consequently the pressure of the breaker rollers against the resilient surface 50 0f the drum 10 may be varied.

In the course of the operation of the machine more or less dust and refuse is likely to'fall down between the edge of the periphcry of the drum 10 and the inside of the frame 13; and in order to prevent any substantial accumulation. of such dirt within the drum, are shaped gutters are attached to the inside of the frame 13 as shown at 80. At the point where the gutters 80 join the frame members 13, suitable oenings 81 are made through the frame mem ers 13, 1 order to provide egress for such dust and waste matter. Thesearc shaped gutters extend around the top half of the machine only; for the tendency of refuse which might accumulate on the lower half of the revolving drum 10 would naturally be to fall away from the drum rather than into it.

The flax straws are fed into the machine over the substantially horizontal platform 90 best shown in Fig. 2 and which may be attached to the frame 13 in any suitable manner.

Adjacent the inside end of the platform 90 and impinging against the resilient surface 50 of the drum 10 in the same manner as the breaker rollers 51, is the leveling roller 91. This leveling roller instead of being solidly pinned to its shaft as are the breaker rollers 51, is mounted loosely on its shaft '92 (see Fig. 4) which is held solidly against rotation in the blocks 93. These blocks 93 are constructed similarly to the journal boxes 52 of the breaker rollers in the respect that they are provided with tongues which fit slidably into members 63 which are ex- !ternally attached to the frame members 13.

They are also provided with springs 71 and adjusting connections in order that the pres sure of the leveling roller upon the resilient surface 50 of the drum 10 may be regulated in the same manner as is the tension of the breaker rollers.

The leveling roller 91 is preferably-constructed of steel, and preferably like the drum 10, has its outside surface covered with a layer of resilient material 94;. Attached solidly to the leveling roller shaft 92 are pins 95 which are encircled by collars 96 which may rotate upon the pins. Bearing against these rotatable collars are cams 97 which are attached to the roller 91 and which are shaped in such a way that when rotation is imparted to the leveling roller 91 by means of the rotation of the drum 10; the leveling roller will be caused not only to rotate but also to reciprocate back and forth longitudinally upon its shaft.

Between some of the breaker rollers positioned at the under side ofthe drum 10 and running approximately equal in length to the width of the drum 10, are pipes 100, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 8. These pipes are provided with openings 101 along their topsurfaces,.next to the drum 10. These openings may be in the form of slots or Circular perforations, or any other suitable type of aperture. The pipes 100 are connected to and supported by a main feed pipe 103, preferably located on the outside of the machine frame 13, through which is fed a supply of air undeiv pressure. p

n practice it may be found desirable to supply air through the pipe103under pres sure in pufl's rather than in a steady stream; and we prefertodirect the air blast through the opening 100 against the surface of the drum 10 in a direction radially toward the center of the drum and at points upon the surface thereof somewhat to; the left of the points midway between the breaker rollers as is clearly indicated in Fig. 2.

Also attached to and fedby the air pipe 103 is a series of nozzles, oneof which noz zles 105 is shown in cross-section in Fig. 2, which direct streams of air downwardly and approximately tangentially against the sun face of the drum 10 in order to free the cleaned fiber from the surface of the drum and to blow it down upon the surface of the removing belt 106 which runs over the pulley 107, whichpulley, and its belt 106, are substantially equal in width to the width of the surface of the drum 10.

Movement is imparted to the belt 106 and from it to the pulley 107 by the impingement of said belt between the surface of the drum 10 and the pulley 107. The degree ofthis impingement may be regulated by turning one or both of two hand wheels 108 one of which is shown in Fig. 2. These wheels are respectively arranged approximate each end of the pulley 107, and each is mounted upon a threaded shaft 109 which turns in a correspondingly threaded opening through a plate 110, secured to the frame 13 by means of bolts 111. The free ends of the shafts 109 impinge against the journal boxes in which the shaftof the pulley 107 revolves. These journal boxes 113 are constructed similarly to those bearing the shafts of the breaker rollers hereinbefore described and are slid-. ably mounted in grooved members 11 1 made integral with the frame 13. By rotating one or both of the hand wheels 108 the pulley 107 may be advanced toward or retreated from the drum 10 and the belt 106 may be pressed against or withdrawn from, the resilient surface of the drum.

Having described in detail the construction of the specific features of the embodiment of our invention herein selected for illustration, we will now proceed to describe its general method of operation.

'The flax straws or other material to be decorticated or crushed are fed over the platform 90 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figs. 1 2 and 9. The drum 10 revolves at a substantially uniform rate in the direction indicated by the arrow thereon in Figs. 2 and 9 and in so doing draws the material beneath the levelingroller 91. As hereinhefore described the leveling roller 91 is not only rotated by its frictional engagement with the resilient surface of the drum 10 but is also caused to reciprocate longitudinally on its shaft. This results in the material which is fed between the leveling roller and the drum 10 being distributed or leveled to an approximately even thickness over the surface of the drum 10 before it passes under the breaker rollers 51. This leveling roller also crushes and cracks the flax stalks as they pass between it.

Having passed beyond the leveling roller 91 the material is now drawn beneath the series of breaker rollers 51 and is crushed or broken by the impingement of the fluted surface of the breaker .rollers against it as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 8 wherein for example a flax straw is shown at 130 in the process of passing underneath the leveling roller and the breaker rollers.

In decorticating flax or other similar fiber bearing straws, while the shive or woody part of the stalk is crushed and broken by being passedbetween the breaker rollers and the resilient surface of the drum of our machine, the fibers it contains are not injured butpass on uninjured until they are finally removed uponthe belt 106.

I In practice we find it of advantage to makethe-fiuted rollers 51 in varying forms, with their .ribs lying in straight lines parallel to their axes or in an angular direction, for example, as shown in detail in Fig. 5. We prefer to employ breaker rollers having different numbers of ribs. In this manner bythe time a straw has been carried around beneathallthe rollers it hasbeen broken and crushed at nearly every point along its entire length and its shive or woody portion has been reduced to fragments.

We prefer that the edges of the fiutings of the breaker rollers should be somewhat rounded rather than sharpin order to in sure the safe passage of the fiber through the'machine; The resiliency of the covering upon the drumjlO permits the rounded edge ribs of the breaker rollers to sink lnto its surface to an appreciable degree; and in this manner, while the shive of the flax stalk is crushed. and broken, the resilient surface of the drum 10 affords a yielding but constant support for the fiber, which is unharmed by its impingement between the rollers and the drum.

When the straw reaches the points opposite the blow pipes 100 arranged at the under side of the drum, its shive is well crushed and broken and will be loosened by the blasts of air which are blown against it, and by the time the. material reaches the pulley 107 the shive is completely removed, leaving only the cleaned'fiber, as diagrammatically indicated at 181 in Fig. 8. This fiber is blown away from the resilient surface of the drum 1Q,- and downwardly upon the belt-106, by

streams of air directed against the surface of the drum from the series of nozzles 105, and is carried out of and away from the machine on the carrier belt 106.

What we claim is:

1.- In a machine of the character described, in combination, a frame to support the working parts thereof, a chute or feedway mounted therein for guiding into the machine the material to be operated upon, a drum journaled in said frame and having its periphery or working surface covered with a relatively resilient or yielding material, a series of corrugated rollers mounted in said frame at intervals about the periphery of said drum and positioned to impinge against the resilient surface thereof and to be rotated by the rotation thereof, spring means whereby said rollers are yieldably and adjustably held in impingement with said drum to the effect that the material to be operated upon will ride upon the surface of said drum and will pass beneath the rollers serz'atim and be subjected to predetermined pressures therefrom; a dofling belt positioned to be pressed against said drum, a free pulley to effect such pressure and whereby said dofling belt may move in unison with the periphery of said drum, and pneumatic means for blowing the treated material toward said dofling belt and for removing waste matter from the machine parts.

2. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a chute or feedway for guiding into the machine the material to be operated upon, a rotatable drum having its tread or periphery covered with a relatively resilient or yielding material, a series of rollers positioned at intervals about the periphery of said drum and arranged to impinge, against the resilient surface thereof and to be rotated by the rotation thereof, adjustable spring means whereby said rollers are yieldably and adjustably held in impingement against said drum to the effect that the material to be operated upon will pass beneath the rollers seriatz'm and be subjected to predetermined pressures, a dofi ing belt for removing treated material, a movable free pulley over which said belt passes and whereby it may be pressed into contact with the periphery of said drum and thus be moved by the rotation of said drum, and pneumatic means for moving the treated material toward said dofling belt and for removing waste matter.

3. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a chute or feedway for guiding into the machine the material to be operated upon, a rotatable drum having its tread or periphery covered with a relatively resilient or yielding material, a series of rollers positioned at intervals about the peripherygof said drum and arranged to impinge against the resilient surface thereof and to be rotated by the rotation thereof, adjustable spring means whereby said rollers are yieldably and adjustably held in impingement against said drum to the effect that the material to be operated upon will pass beneath the rollers serz'atim and be subjected to predetermined pressures, a doffing belt for removing treated material, a movable free pulley over which said belt passes and whereby itmay be pressed into contact with the periphery of said drum and thus be moved by the rotation of said drum, and means for moving the treated material toward said doffing belt and for removing waste matter.

4:. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a rotatable drum having upon its tread or periphery a relatively resilient or yielding material, a series of rollers positioned about the periphery of said drum and arranged to impinge against the resilient surface thereof, adjustable spring means whereby said rollers may be yieldably and adjustably held in impingement against said drum to the effect that the material to be treated will pass beneath the rollers and be subjected to predetermined pressures, a dofling belt for removing treated material, means for moving the treated material toward or to said belt and means for removing waste matter.

5. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a rotatable drum having upon its tread or periphery a relatively resilient or yielding material, a series of rollers positioned about the periphery of said drum and arranged to impinge against the resilient surface thereof, adjustable spring means whereby said rollers may be yieldably and adjustably held in impingement against said drum to the effect that the material to be treated will pass beneath the rollers and be subjected to predetermined pressures, a dofling belt for removing treated material, and pneumatic means for removing waste matter.

6. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a rotatable drum havin a relatively resilient or yielding surface, rol ers positioned to impinge against said resilient surface, spring means whereby said rollers may be yieldably held in impingement against said drum to the eifect that the material being treated may be subjected to predetermined pressures, and dofiing means for removing treated material.

7. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a rotatable drum having a relatively resilient or yielding surface, rollers positioned to impinge against said resilient surface, spring means whereby said rollers may be yieldably held in impingement against said drum to the effect that the material being treated may be subjected to predetermined pressures and pneumatic means for removing waste matter.

8. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a rotatable drum having a relatively resilient or yielding surface, relatively hard or non-resilient rollers positioned to impinge against said resilient surface, spring means whereby said rollers may be yieldably held in impingement against said drum to the effect that the material being treated may be subjected to predetermined pressures, and dofiing means for removing treated material.

9. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a rotatable drum having a relatively resilient or yielding surface, a roller having a relatively non-resilient surface positioned to impinge against said drum and to be rotated thereby, and spring means whereby said roller may be yieldably held against said drum to the effect that the material between the roller and the drum may be subjected to a desired pressure.

10. In a machine of the class described a drum having a locally resilient surface and a series of rolls mounted thereabout and having unyielding surfaces pressed against the surface of the drum and means to drive the drum.

11. In a machine of the class described a supporting surface to receive material, which surface is locally resilient, means to move the same orbitally and a plurality of rolls along the orbit pressed against said surface and adapted to be driven thereby.

12. In a machine of the class described a supporting surface to receive material, which surface is locally resilient, means to move the same orbitally and a plurality of rolls along the orbit spring-pressed against said surface and adapted to be driven thereby.

13. In a machine of the class described a driven drum having a locally resilient surface, aseries of fluted idler rolls disposed thereabout and spring means pressing said rolls against said surface.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RITCHIE S. MADDOCK. HAYDN L. EROWN. CHARLES G. SHERMAN. Witnesses:

ROBERT H. KAMMLER, F. IRENE CHANDLER.

Uopiea of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0." 

